MISCELLLANTEOUS.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 17, 16 December 1863, Page 3

MISCELLLANTEOUS.

The Bench and the Press. — The foilowing' are Lord Denmaivs remark.- 1 , as chronicled' in Barnwell and Aldea'Oti's report of the notorious Thistlewood case : — " A publication containing a fair and impartial account of the evidence given pending 1 a proceeding does not tend to obstruct the course of public justice. By the constitution of the country, courts of justice are opened to the public, in which -it is necessary for the purposes of -public justice that particular witnesses should he examined separately. In such a case, which appei tains strictly to the business immediately before them, the Court have a right to exclude those parties of that cause ; hut they have no power to exclude those to whom that reason does not apply. It would be illegal to shut their doors against spectators. No real obstruction of justice ■cati arise from a publication of ;< true and faithful account of the proceedings. The public good is to be considered ; and it is for ihe public benefit that a fait lift; 1 accocnt should be published of a transaction of which they might otherwise receive only a garbled account from the mouths of individuals. Such a publication I has the effect of increasing, as it were, the size of a court of justice. It brings to the minds of others not personally present, the facts as they really exist." — tterald. Yaxkee Curiosity. — Some people have very inquisitive minds— but few, we think, carry th-oit curiosity so far as a Yankee friend •■ of ours, who rang the bell cf a fashionable residence the other day, and, when the servunt girl made her appearance, politely inquired, "What are .you going to haye -for dinner today? 1 ' The girl, thinking the man was one of their tradesmen, and had made the inquiry in his business capacity, innocently replied, "Mutton-, sir." — "Mutton — \vith s/mce?" — " Yes sir." — :" Ah, well ! I was passing "by, and thought I would inquire. Good morning." The servant was indignant when she • came to comprehend the man's motive, but he was too far up the street to hear her angry denunciations. A genius in America is fitting up a steamer for tire purpose Of towing icebergs to India, where they sell for six cents a pound. Another proposes to do still better — to fit a screw in the iceberg itself, and thus avoid the expense of ship building. 'Cute chaps, both of 'era.